gather two closed rings on an open ring then gather the end rings from row 4 and row 2.

Because the sides are very short this early in the construction you are already at a corner. In fact, at this point every other (open) ring you add is working on a corner!
Corners are still 4to1 but instead of the normal two above and two below you have one above and three below.
NOTE: the one above, the open ring, and the middle ring of the three below are corner rings shared by two sides